April 21, 2011, 3:15PM

TRENTON — New Jersey wildlife officials say black bears are entering their most active period of the year as they search for food and mates. That means encounters between the bruins and humans will become more likely, especially in northwestern areas. Officials are reminding residents that feeding the bears is illegal and punishable by fines of up to $1,000.... Full story »

April 21, 2011, 8:00AM

NEWARK — Christopher Pettus’ eyes widened when he spied a monster truck in the heap of toys. "Beep beep!" cried the 2-year-old boy, pushing the blue truck through toys delivered Wednesday for homeless children at Harmony House in Newark. It hardly mattered to children at the transitional housing center that the toys were used or, as Bronna Lipton, president... Full story »

April 19, 2011, 6:46AM

A bag of heroin, a 10-gallon gas tank, five pairs of underwear, a duck caller and a plastic cow were among the nearly half-million pieces of trash picked up from New Jersey's beaches by volunteers last year. It may appear that everything but the kitchen sink turned up. But that's wrong: There was one of those, too. Clean Ocean... Full story »

April 15, 2011, 5:19PM

CAMDEN — With shovels and wheelbarrows, a bunch of gardeners are trying to plant some hope at the corner of 6th and Grant streets, a rough part of a tough city that's become a leader in a burgeoning movement of inner-city community gardens. Police made a big drug bust a half-block away on Thursday. And just days ago, the... Full story »

April 14, 2011, 9:43PM

PAULSBORO — Citgo does not have to pay $177 million in cleanup costs stemming from the massive 2004 spill of crude oil from a tanker nearing its dock on the Delaware River, a federal judge has ruled. The judge cleared Citgo of liability in the third-largest oil spill in U.S. waters, which occurred when the single-hull Greek tanker struck a... Full story »

April 14, 2011, 9:41PM

TRENTON — Environmentalists said they delivered a record 30,000 public comments opposing natural gas drilling near the Delaware River to federal regulators today. The comments to the Delaware River Basin Commission come from residents of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware who oppose "fracking," a technique in which water, sand and toxic chemicals are injected to break up... Full story »

April 12, 2011, 7:42PM

TRENTON — Environmental advocates today painted a bleak picture of what would happen to New Jersey’s natural resources if the state moves ahead with a plan that would allow businesses, towns and people to bypass environmental regulations. Leaders from nine advocacy groups gathered at the Statehouse and urged the Christie administration to drop the proposed "waiver rule," saying it... Full story »

April 12, 2011, 5:27PM

FAIR HAVEN — The flock of pet ducks causing a rift between neighbors in one Fair Haven neighborhood will remain with their owners, according to a report on Redbankgreen.com. The decision came down at a council meeting brought forth by the complaints of the neighbors of 12-year-old Nikki Vuille, the owner of the six ducks. Neighbors took issue with... Full story »

April 08, 2011, 7:30AM

NEWARK — Newark isn’t considered a haven for bike riders. Heavy traffic, a lack of bike lanes and few places to park bicycles make the state’s largest city a challenge for anyone who regularly pedals its streets on two wheels. But Rutgers-Newark is trying to change that image to get more of the campus’s 11,750 students to bike to... Full story »

April 07, 2011, 1:20PM

TRENTON — New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware have accepted a plan that seeks to protect the Delaware River and those who live near it. New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin says New York City has agreed to change the amount of water released from its reservoir system in the Catskills. Martin says that would protect marine... Full story »

April 07, 2011, 6:00AM

TRENTON — Political contributions by public contractors last year were at their lowest level since the state’s election watchdog began tracking them in 2006. Companies with state and local government contracts gave $9.4 million to political parties and candidates in 2010, down from their peak of $16.4 million in 2007, according to a report released Wednesday by the Election... Full story »

April 06, 2011, 4:02PM

TRENTON — New Jersey's top environmental official says samples of air and milk show no sign of elevated radiation from the Japan nuclear disaster. Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin says rainwater samples show trace amounts of Iodine-131, but not enough to cause any concern. Martin was among five environment and security experts to testify at a briefing on nuclear... Full story »